title: Immunoperoxidase staining of primate pituitaries with antibodies against the beta subunits of human pituitary glycoprotein hormones.
abstract: The immunocytochemical specificity of antibodies against the beta subunits of human pituitary glycoprotein hormones was tested on human and monkey hypophyses. Anti-luteinizing hormone (LH) beta stained only gonadotrophic cells in both species, and anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) beta only thyrotrophic cells. In monkeys, anti-follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) beta demonstrated only gonadotrophs, but in man the antibody stained thyrotrophs equally well. Staining of the two cell types was diminished to a similar degree by dilution of the anti-FSH beta antibody. Human gonadotroph heterogeneity was revealed by absorption of anti-FSH beta with LH beta or TSH beta, which abolished immunostaining of a subset of gonadotrophs. Limitations in the immunocytochemical specificity of antibodies against beta subunits of pituitary glycoprotein hormones may be a consequence of incomplete purity of the generating antigens, structural overlap among the beta subunit of the three hormones, or a combination of these.
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000032:analysis*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin